Addiction Treatment Blog by Addiction Experts » Entries tagged with "HIV"
Faces of Addiction
Addiction can happen to anyone, regardless of social position, age, race, job, or any other boundary that is put up. But behind every addict is a story, a struggle. The devastating physical, emotional, and spiritual effects have taken their toll or are in the process of doing so, and there lies a fork in the road. At the end of the day, every addict’s story comes to the same basic choices: continue on the road … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction
More Homeless People Die of Drug Overdose than HIV
The homeless are a part of our society that, sadly, seems to go unnoticed by the majority of the population until something drastic is discovered. In the 1980s and ‘90s, when HIV was a largely inexplicable phenomenon, many homeless people were suffering and dying; society took notice. Well, it isn’t HIV anymore. According to a five year study conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, the number one … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Life, Substance Abuse
Alcohol + Energy Drinks = Increased Levels of Risky Sex
While the Government has tried to stop the use of alcohol + energy drinks such as Four Loko and Joose from getting into the hands of college students, they have found a way around this by mixing hard liquor and individual energy drinks to get the same effects. As a result, researchers have seen an increase in risky sexual behavior in college students. A study carried out by University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addiction (RIA) found that college students and young adults who mixed alcohol with energy drinks have an increased risk of practicing causal and dangerous sex. People who consume alcohol and Red Bull together tend to drink more and for a longer period of time because the stimulation in the energy keeps them up. The more they drink the less … Read entire article »
The Benefits of the Needle Exchange Program
The 19th International AIDS Conference, held this year, discussed many exciting and revolutionary ways to fight HIV, but, as one NPR correspondent, Richard Knox pointed out, didn’t say much about the well-proven needle exchange programs. Needle and syringe exchange programs, a form of harm reduction, are locations in which injection drug users can exchange old syringes or simply get fresh ones. Additionally, they often have educational resources about safe injection practices, counseling, HIV-testing, and information … Read entire article »
The Economics of Gelling Agents in Drugs
Before I did heroin, I was all about the pharmaceutical opiates: Oxycontin, Opana, Methadone, Morphine, and Dilaudid- just to name a few. I always knew what I was taking, what amount, and never had to worry about what sort of mystery cuts were added to the drug (you know, running the risk of shooting up rat poison, or worse). Not to mention, there has always been a negative stigma attached to heroin. It’s “dirty”. “Once … Read entire article »
Filed under: Alcohol and Drugs
Red Cross Works to End this Drug War!!!
Recently, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies addressed the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs and called for the decriminalization of drugs. After decades of failed policy, it should be an obvious fact to the governments and law agencies of the world that stigmatization and punishment of drug users only forces them into lives of hiding in the crevices and cracks of the city, where they must constantly avoid encounters with … Read entire article »
Filed under: Life
Criminalization of Drugs Linked to Rising AIDS/HIV Rates
Currently because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic there are centers that provide clean needles, safer injection facilities, and prescription heroin programs for helpless addicts worldwide but the Global Commission expresses concern, stating the need for drug decriminalization and that there aren’t enough secure facilities, promoting safer ways to use, letting the deadly virus continue to spread. Due to the fact that countries such as the U.S., Thailand, China, and Russia have such strict policies on drugs … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Alcohol and Drugs, Substance Abuse
Hepatitis C (HCV)
Hepatitis “C” is a virus that attacks your liver and it can be fatal after years and years of having it, if you don’t take good care of yourself. There are six types of hepatitis that are harmful genotypes; 1, 2, and 3. Two and three respond better to treatment than one does. Genotype 1 is more difficult to treat; I have had Hep C for about 10 years and the doctor says I will … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured
Controversial Harm Reduction Program Remains Open
Although completely abstaining from drugs is the most successful route for addicts seeking to live healthy lifestyles, this is not always an attainable task. For those who cannot stop abusing drugs, there are some regions of the world that provide harm reduction techniques such as designated areas for safely using drugs, known as “safe injection sites”. Canada’s first safe injection site, Insite, reigned victorious in a recent court case which challenged its legality and it … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Alcohol and Drugs, Latest News, Treatment
Alcohol Abuse linked to HIV & AIDS
The International Center for Research on Women of Washington has stated that alcohol use increases the risk of AIDS. It’s been proven that the consumption of alcohol leads to risky sexual practices that may result in the infection of HIV. According to an article in the latest issue of The Lancet, countries with the highest percentage of HIV infections have a high population of hazardous drinkers. This is associated with greater incidents of unprotected sex with prostitutes and sex with multiple partners. Establishments that sell alcohol are also associated with the increased risk of HIV. Studies have shown that there is a link between alcohol abuse and risky sexual behavior. Alcohol limits inhibitions and therefore increases the risk of unsafe behaviors. These behaviors include unprotected sex which can … Read entire article »
Filed under: Addiction, Latest News
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